Energetic oxetane propellants

Abstract

An energetic solid rocket motor propellant having one or more plateau regions of low operating pressure exponent is disclosed. The propellant is formulated from ingredients including an energetic polyoxetane, an effective amount of a plasticizer, an inorganic oxidizer in at least two discrete particle size ranges, and a refractory oxide burn rate modifier.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. An energetic solid rocket motor propellant having one or more plateau regions of low operating pressure exponent, said propellant being formulated from ingredients comprising: 
       at least one energetic oxetane homopolymer, copolymer, or terpolymer;  
       an effective amount of at least one plasticizer;  
       at least one inorganic oxidizer in at least two discrete particle size ranges; and  
       at least one refractory oxide burn rate modifier.  
     
     
       2. An energetic solid rocket motor propellant as defined in claim  1 , wherein the refractory oxide is at least one member selected from the group consisting of titanium dioxide, zirconium dioxide, alumina, tin dioxide, and silica. 
     
     
       3. An energetic solid rocket motor propellant as defined in claim  2 , wherein the refractory oxide is titanium dioxide. 
     
     
       4. An energetic solid rocket motor propellant as defined in claim  1 , wherein the refractory oxide is present in a concentration of from approximately 0.2 wt % to approximately 4.0 wt %. 
     
     
       5. An energetic solid rocket motor propellant as defined in claim  1 , wherein the refractory oxide is present in a concentration of from approximately 1.0 wt % to approximately 2.0 wt %. 
     
     
       6. An energetic solid rocket motor propellant as defined in claim  1 , wherein the energetic polyoxetane is at least one member selected from the group consisting of poly-NMMO, poly-AMMO, poly-BAMO-AMMO, and blends, copolymers, and terpolymers thereof. 
     
     
       7. An energetic solid rocket motor propellant as defined in claim  6 , wherein the energetic polyoxetane is blended or polymerized with one or more members selected from the group consisting of poly-DMO (poly-3,3-dimethyal oxetane), poly-EMO (poly-3,3-bis(ethoxymethyl)oxetane), poly-BCMO (poly-3,3-bis(chloromethyl)oxetane), poly-BMMO (poly-3,3-bis(methoxymethyl)oxetane), poly-BFMO (poly-3,3-bis(fluoromethyl)oxetane), poly-HMMO (poly-3-hydroxymethyl-3-methyloxetane), poly-BAOMO (poly-3,3-bis(hydroxymethyl)oxetane), poly-OMMO (poly-3-octoxymethyl-3-methyloxetane), poly-BMEMO (poly-3,3-bis(methoxyethoxymethyl)oxetane), poly-CMMO (poly-3-chloromethyl-3-methyloxetane), poly-AMMO (poly-3-azidomethyl-3-methyloxetane), poly-BIMO (poly-3,3-bis(iodomethyl)oxetane, poly-IMMO (poly-3-iodomethyl-3-methyloxetane), poly-PMMO (poly-3-propynomethylmethyloxetane), poly-BNMO (poly-3,3-bis(nitratomethyl)oxetane), poly-NMMO (poly-3-nitratomethyl-3-methyloxetane), poly-BMNAMO (poly-3,3-bis(methylnitraminomethyl)oxetane), poly-MNAMMO (poly-3-methylnitraminomethyl-3-methyloxetane), and poly-BAMO (poly-3,3-bis(azidomethyl)oxetane). 
     
     
       8. An energetic solid rocket motor propellant as defined in claim  1 , wherein the plasticizer is at least one energetic plasticizer selected from the group consisting of nitrate esters, azido plasticizers, and nitrato/nitramino plasticizers. 
     
     
       9. An energetic solid rocket motor propellant as defined in claim  8 , wherein the plasticizer is at least one member selected from the group consisting of nitroglycerin, ethyleneglycol dinitrate, diethyleneglycol dinitrate, triethyleneglycol dinitrate (“TEGDN”), polyethyleneglycol dinitrate, butanetriol trinitrate, trimethylolethane trinitrate, propyleneglycol dinitrate, ethylenediamine dinitrate, n-butyl-2-nitratoethyl-nitramine (“BuNENA”), methyl-2-nitratoethyl-nitramine, ethyl-2-nitratoethyl-nitramine, dinitroxy-diethyl-nitramine, and glycidyl azide plasticizer. 
     
     
       10. An energetic solid rocket motor propellant as defined in claim  1 , further comprising a stabilizer. 
     
     
       11. A rocket motor comprising a solid propellant having one or more plateau regions of low operating pressure exponent, said propellant being formulated from ingredients comprising: 
       at least one energetic oxetane homopolymer, copolymer, or terpolymer;  
       an effective amount of at least one plasticizer;  
       at least one inorganic oxidizer in at least two discrete particle size ranges; and  
       at least one refractory oxide burn rate modifier.  
     
     
       12. A rocket motor as defined in claim  11 , wherein the refractory oxide is at least one member selected from the group consisting of titanium dioxide, zirconium dioxide, alumina, tin dioxide, and silica. 
     
     
       13. A rocket motor as defined in claim  12 , wherein the refractory oxide is titanium dioxide. 
     
     
       14. A rocket motor as defined in claim  11 , wherein the refractory oxide is present in a concentration of from approximately 0.2 wt % to approximately 4.0 wt %. 
     
     
       15. A rocket motor as defined in claim  11 , wherein the refractory oxide is present in a concentration of from approximately 1.0 wt % to approximately 2.0 wt %. 
     
     
       16. A rocket motor as defined in claim  11 , wherein the energetic polyoxetane is at least one member selected from the group consisting of poly-NMMO, poly-AMMO, poly-BAMO-AMMO, and blends, copolymers, and terpolymers thereof. 
     
     
       17. A rocket motor as defined in claim  16 , wherein the energetic polyoxetane is blended or polymerized with one or more members selected from the group consisting of poly-DMO (poly-3,3-dimethyal oxetane), poly-EMO (poly-3,3-bis(ethoxymethyl)oxetane), poly-BCMO (poly-3,3-bis(chloromethyl)oxetane), poly-BMMO (poly-3,3-bis(methoxymethyl)oxetane), poly-BFMO (poly-3,3-bis(fluoromethyl)oxetane), poly-HMMO (poly-3-hydroxymethyl-3-methyloxetane), poly-BAOMO (poly-3,3-bis(hydroxymethyl)oxetane), poly-OMMO (poly-3-octoxymethyl-3-methyloxetane), poly-BMEMO (poly-3,3-bis(methoxyethoxymethyl)oxetane), poly-CMMO (poly-3-chloromethyl-3-methyloxetane), poly-AMMO (poly-3-azidomethyl-3-methyloxetane), poly-BIMO (poly-3,3-bis(iodomethyl)oxetane, poly-IMMO (poly-3-iodomethyl-3-methyloxetane), poly-PMMO (poly-3-propynomethylmethyloxetane), poly-BNMO (poly-3,3-bis(nitratomethyl)oxetane), poly-NMMO (poly-3-nitratomethyl-3-methyloxetane), poly-BMNAMO (poly-3,3-bis(methylnitraminomethyl)oxetane), poly-MNAMMO (poly-3-methylnitraminomethyl-3-methyloxetane), and poly-BAMO (poly-3,3-bis(azidomethyl)oxetane). 
     
     
       18. A rocket motor as defined in claim  11 , wherein the plasticizer is at least one energetic plasticizer selected from the group consisting of nitrate esters, azido plasticizers, and nitrato/nitramino plasticizers. 
     
     
       19. A rocket motor as defined in claim  18 , wherein the plasticizer is at least one member selected from the group consisting of nitroglycerin, ethyleneglycol dinitrate, diethyleneglycol dinitrate, triethyleneglycol dinitrate (“TEGDN”), polyethyleneglycol dinitrate, butanetriol trinitrate, trimethylolethane trinitrate, propyleneglycol dinitrate, ethylenediamine dinitrate, n-butyl-2-nitratoethyl-nitramine (“BuNENA”), methyl-2-nitratoethyl-nitramine, ethyl-2-nitratoethyl-nitramine, dinitroxy-diethyl-nitramine, and glycidyl azide plasticizer. 
     
     
       20. A rocket motor as defined in claim  11 , further comprising a stabilizer.